Labourer On Trial Murder Of Watchman At The Wellington Station Alleged

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 November 1950, Page 6

Labourer On Trial Murder Of Watchman At The Wellington Station Alleged

,WELLINGTON, Last Night (PA).—Leo Sylvester Hannan, labourer. aged 50 years, appeared before the Chief Justice, Sir Humphrey O’Leary, in the Supreme Court today on a charge of murdering Frederick Andrew Stade, a watchman, al the Wellington railway station on August 10 last. Accused pleaded not guilty in a firm voice.

Accused is represented by Mr. G. I. Joseph, with him Mr. D. S. Castle. Mr. W. H. Cunningham appeared for the Crown. With him is Mr. W. K. Birks. The case will continue today. The trial, which is expected to last into the fourth day, was not attended toy a large number of the public. The Crown would say, said Mr. Cunningham, that this was a case of assault in which the person carrying out the assault intended to kill, or do serious bodily injury, regardless or whether he killed or not. Stade hac been nightwatchman at the Wellington railway station for seven years and had apparently been conscientious and efficient. Among his many duties were those of closing all the p!ac<rm gates, except those on to No. 2 platform, from which the all-night Johnsonville service left, and switch lights on and off for the arrival and departure of trains, and the warning off of loiterers. The station foreman had left at 11.40 when Stade had been closing the men’s convenience. Mr Cunningham suggested a plan could be displayed to direct the jury to view the scene after Mr. Cunningham had opened his case. All platforms and the station concourse were dark after 11-30, continued Mr. Cunningham. Events between 12.45 and 1.18 would be covered in the •rase. LAST SEEN AT 1.9 A.M.* Stade had last been seen by the driver of the Johnsonville train, O’Connell, at 1.9, when he had been talking to a man near the foreman’s office. They appeared to be arguing though O’Connell could not hear what was being said. The guard of the train went out. At this time a man, later identified as the accused, han been on the platform near the staff lavatory. Slade had been about a chain away and had called out something to the accused. Accused had said that he wanted to use the lavatory, as the public one was closed. There were no other people of No. 2 platform when the train left at 1.8. Mr. Cunningham then detailed the finding of Slade’s body at 1.22 by the train control clerk, James Alexander Gower, after the exchange clerk, Sydney George Reid, had heard moans out on the darkened concourse ana observed Slade lying there. ‘*lf the train left at 1.18, Stade was prone in the concourse four minutes later,” said Mr. Cunningham. PIECE OF METAL FOUND. When the pathologist and photographers had examined the body and it was moved, a small piece of metai had fallen from the clothing. A scientist would be called to swear that this piece had formerly been welded to the bloodstained bar picked up in the harbour near the Railway Wharf several days after the murder. A constable at the door of the wharf police station had spoken to a man, later identified by him as accused, at 1.28. Accused had come from the direction of the Railway Hannan had been picked up by a police patrol in Herbert Street at 4.30 a.m. and had gone to the station willingly. Accused’s movements prior to the murder were then outlined by Mr. Cunningham. He said that accused w’as seen in a cafe by a stereotype worker at 12.30 a.m. This man noticed accused carrying an iron bar with a small handle on the end of it. The worker thought the implement was a turnkey. He later identified accused at a parade at the Central Police Station.

A reporter from the “Dominion” noticed a man proceeding towards the railway station through Whitmore Street—the reporter was on his way to catch the 1.15 a.m. train to Johnsonville. The reporter heard a banging of metal on the road as the man walked along. Others saw’ a man carrying an iron bar on his way to the station and another person saw the man at the station with the iron bar.

Accused was later picked up by a pouice patrol car, continued Mr Cunningham. To Sergeant Scanlon, accused sail that h e resided at No. 1 Vivian Street, and that he was quite willing to go to the station. (Later in his address Mr Cunningham said it was ascertained that accused no longer lived in Vivian Street, but that some time previously he had been asked to leave there by the landlady). When questioned at the Police Station by Detective-Sergeant Bevage, accused said he had just been w’alking around the place. He said he last left home at 9 p m., and that he had walked everywhere, including along the wharves. He had been at the railway station at 10 p.m. BLOOD ON CLOTHES.

Detective-Sergeant Bevage then noticed blood spots on his trousers and shoes and inside the right leg above the cuff was a piece of fleshy matter, later found to be a piece of human scalp. Blood spots were also found on accused's hat band.

When questioned by Detective-Ser-geant Scott, accused said that he had definitely not been at the railway station after 1 am. He said he did not know where he had been at that time —he had been “all round the place. ’ Accused then told the detectives that the blood spots had been caused by his bleeding nose, but Detective-Ser-geant Bevage could find no trace of blood in accused’s nostrils. When charged with the murder accused said' “What the hell do I know about that —nothing! I do not want to make an explanation. Murder—dicken to that me murder anyone!”

Mr Cunningham said the last witness to be called by the Crown would be the pathologist. Dr. P. P. Lynch, who would testify as to the nature of Stade’s injuries. It w r as Dr. Lynch’s opinion that the front blows w’ere struck while Stadp was facing his assailant, and that he then fell to the concourse. Judging by th? injuries, there might have been about 12 additional blows on the back of the head, the scalp being almost pulped. These blows were struck as St ad? was lying prone.

1 The suggestion made by the 'Crown,” said Mr Cunningham, “is that Stade was attacked unawares with this weapon, that he went down before he knew what had happened, an 1 then was battered savagely to death. Although partially disabled, Stade was a man who would be able to put up a fight if he had a chance, but there were no injuries found on his arms, which he would naturally receive in defending himself.’’ PHOTOGRAPHS PRODUCED. Alter Mr Cunningham’s address, the jury visited the railway station and the wharves. When the Court resumed, Eldon Oakes Moore, a Railways Department draughtsman, produced a plan of the station, William John Miller, police constable and photographer, produced photographs taken at the railway station, the city morgue and between the railway station and the entrance to the Railway Wharf. His Honour told the jury they were entitled to see these photographs, but they were pretty ghastly, and the later they saw them the better. The sight of the photographs might disturb them, and not put them in the best frame of mind for considering the evidence. Sir Humphrey invited the jury to discuss this question among themselves later. Photographs of the area from the Railway Wharf to the station, of No. 2 platform, and distant views of the body in the concourse were handed to the jury. Cross-examined by Mr Joseph, witness said it would be possible to photograph pin points of blood or pieces of flesh on a man, but so far as he knew no one had been to do so in connection with this charge. Detective-Sergeant Scott had instructed him to take the photographs he had taken. Albert Baoumgren traffic foreman at the Wellington railway station, told the court of Stade’s duties. Stade was authorised to have people, other than train passengers, who loitered shifted from the premises. The public conveniences were locked week nights round about 12. On the night of August 9 he saw Stade closing them. Witness said he had not seen men testing the wheels of railway vehicles at Wellington in recent years. He thougnt an iron bar for this work would be suitable. He had seen hammers for this work in Wellington usually Iving between the tracks. The electric units were not tested at the station. The last steam train to leave which would be tested was the 11.30 p.m. train for Paekakariki. Sydney George Reed, Railways Department cadet o'n duty at the station on the night of August 9-10, told of hearing a moan or a groan and of seeing a body on the concourse. Witness told Mr. Joseph he saw the body and no one else before 1.21 p.m. James Alexander Gower, railways train control officer, said that when called by Reed on the night of August 9-10, he fou'nd a man's body between the kiosk and the phone booths. Witness told His Honour he was positive it was 1.23 just before he called the police. Acting - Detective Arthur Henry Hart told of being called to the station on the morning of August 10 where he found the dead body of Stade. Rata Leonard Prince, stereotyper, said he went to the Night Bird Cafe about 12.25 to 12.20 on the night of August 9-10. Accused came in carrying what appeared to be a turnkey used for turning water off. This looked like the one produced in two parts in court. To Mr. Joseph, witness said he identified accused at an identification parade. He knew accused was twice in court before the parade, but witness was not in court. Martha Manning, waitress at the Night Bird Cafe, said accused came in about 12.40 on the night of August 9-10. Witness told Mr Joseph accused did 'not appear to be carrying anything. He had on bluey grey trousers, and a blue coat. She was not sure that he had any marks on his face. Mr Joseph produced the bar previously shown in court and asked would she have noticed this had he walked into the cafe with this in his hand. Witness said she thought she would. Kenneth Ivan Gibson, journalist* said that on his way to the 1.15 Joh'nsonville train on the morning of August 10. he saw a man on the station side of Whitmore Street walking from the east. Witness said his attention was attracted by a measured ringing as if the man were tapping the footpath with something. Gibson said he crossed the intersection first and heard the metallic ringing behind him till he entered the station. Questioned by Mr. Joseph, witness said he could not identify the man or what he was carrying, and did not know the man’s nge. Mr. Joseph: Could thp noise you heard have been caused by the steel portion of the bottom of a walking stick? Wit'ness: I think it could.